Tips for Everyday Carpet Cleaning
You know how
hard it is to keep your carpet clean of spills and messes on a regular basis,
so we have put together some quick tips that you can use to help keep your
carpet clean and fresh. By using these tips you'll be able to handle messes
that occur with confidence.
Clean up spills quickly
This is the most
important tip that we can offer. The longer you wait - the deeper the stain
will reach into the carpet levels and the harder it will be to get it out. If
you see a spill and have something else to do, put that other thing on hold and
handle the mess right away. You'll save yourself a lot of time and will avoid
having a bigger problem to handle later.
Blot! Don't rub!
Blot up the mess
carefully making sure that you do not rub the liquid around. You don't want to
spread the mess any further than you have to. The more your rub the deeper the
mess will go into the carpet, the more spread out it will be on the surface and
the more damage it will do to your carpet fibers.
Use club soda
This is a
universal carpet cleaner that has proven to be effective on most carpets. Of
course, you’ll want to test an area that is in a hidden part of the room first
to make sure that your carpet will remain colorfast using this soda as a
cleaner. Club soda does not contain any harsh chemicals like the carpet
cleaners you'd find at the grocery store and usually does a better job.
Let it air dry
Once you have
finished working the stain out of the carpet don't dry it using a hair dryer.
Sometimes it can be difficult to tell whether you have gotten all of the stain
out until you see the area drying up. If you apply heat to the stain, and you
haven't removed it completely, you will only be setting the stain into your
carpet and it will be quite difficult to remove later.
Avoid detergents
It's better to
use plain water than a detergent on your carpet. It will be difficult to get
all of the detergent out completely and this residue will attract dirt and
debris like a magnet afterwards.
When all else fails
Call in a carpet
cleaning company to do a professional job. If you haven't had your carpets
cleaned in a while, it may be time to call them in anyway to get the whole
house looking clean and fresh. There aren’t too many stains that a professional
company cannot handle, even if you've tried your best to no avail. In many
cases, they can remove older stains that you've had in your carpet for years
while they're at your home handling the current spill.
Article
by Sharon Freeman who writes about cleaning and keeping our houses healthy for ECC.